Twitter’s handle on D.C. evolving

Twitter has a small office in D.C., but its two core staffers are well-versed in tech policy. | Reuters

To that point: Levin and McCain have already invoked Twitter in their ongoing criticism of corporate tax rules.

“It’s ridiculous,” McCain said. “What we’re pointing out is that there’s a huge loophole. Facebook did the same thing. It’s ridiculous. We’re making people billionaires, and taxpayers are getting almost nothing.”

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At the same time, Twitter has largely skirted scrutiny on an issue that many other Silicon Valley firms have been grilled on: its collection and use of user data.

The company has what might be the best privacy reputation of any major tech company since it honors requests from users who don’t want to have their Web browsing history used to tailor advertisements. It’s also avoided attention that its competitors received after the first reports about the NSA’s PRISM program since it wasn’t named in the documents disclosed by leaker Edward Snowden.

“On the privacy issue, my gosh, I’m sending a letter a month to Google or Yahoo or Facebook,” said Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), co-chairman of the Congressional Bipartisan Privacy Caucus. “But on Twitter, it doesn’t seem to have been a problem.”

No two tech companies — nor any, for that matter — follow the same path. But the two biggest companies mentioned in the same breath as Twitter have cozied up to Washington in recent years. Facebook’s lobbying more than doubled after its IPO. Google, which didn’t have a Washington presence when it went public in 2004, is now one of Washington’s biggest spenders.

Even so, it’s not necessarily that Twitter’s move to go public is the cause for putting down deeper roots in Washington. It’s that getting to the IPO point signals a maturation that can mean more Washington touch points.

“I look at the progression as a company grows as what really dictates what they do in Washington,” said Joshua Ackil, a co-founder of the tech-focused Franklin Square Group. “Part of growing and getting bigger and going public also suggests that you’re the right size to have a lobbying presence.”

That means Twitter could have more to do in Washington than just make sure it doesn’t run afoul of the tax man. As a publicly traded Twitter cements itself among the cream of Silicon Valley’s crop, it may have more muscle than ever before.

“When they get through the public offering process, and they are a publicly traded company, they are established,” said Mike McGeary, co-founder of Engine Advocacy, a group that helps connect startups and government. “Right now, they are a global company that has reach to a marketplace of users all across the world. And so that presents a number of opportunities.”